Police pose as 16-year-old boy and arrest Orem man

Jay Williams, 55, of Orem was arrested Wednesday by police officers conducting a sting operation. Police believe Williams was carrying on a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old boy he met online.

OREM — Police, posing as a 16-year-old boy, arrested an Orem man on Wednesday who had arranged to take them to a storage unit set up for sexual activity.

Jay Williams, 55, was booked into the Utah County Jail for investigation of enticing a minor and attempted dealing in harmful material to a minor. After being released on bail, Williams and his son Grant Williams, 19, were arrested for investigation of obstructing justice. Police say the two men attempted to hide a laptop that may contain evidence against Jay Williams.

Another man, 20-year-old Christopher Prue of Orem, was also arrested independently of Jay and Grant Williams for allegedly distributing pornographic material to the same 16-year-old boy.

American Fork Police Sgt. Gregg Ludlow said a woman contacted police after finding pornographic pictures on her son's iPod. Through their investigation, police discovered that adult men had been carrying on a sexual relationship with the boy.

Ludlow said police assumed the boy's online identity and were contacted by Jay Williams, who wanted to meet up with the boy to view pornographic material and engage in sexual activity.

"He told us he had a storage unit in a climate-controlled facility in Orem where he was planning to take us, or to take the juvenile," Ludlow said. "We set up a sting and when he arrived to meet the juvenile we arrested him."

Officers met Jay Williams at a parking lot in American Fork, where he was arrested. Ludlow said the storage unit contained an air mattress and electronic equipment for viewing pornography. He said the sting would have been the second meeting between Jay Williams and the boy but did not specify if the first meeting had taken place at the storage unit.

While in prison, Ludlow said, Jay Williams contacted his son Grant Williams and asked him to get rid of his laptop computer. Police became aware of the conversation and arrested both men for investigation of obstructing justice. The laptop was recovered and police are still investigating its contents.

Police also arrested 20-year-old Christopher Prue, who officials believe was also engaged in criminal behavior with the 16-year-old boy. Ludlow said Prue and Jay Williams do not know each other and appear to have been contacting the boy independently.

Ludlow said Jay Williams and the boy appear to have met online. He said police are continuing to investigate if there were any other minors contacted by Jay Williams.

"With Mr. Williams and the setup he had in the storage unit, it's very concerning," Ludlow said. "I believe there's a very good potential that there are other victims out there and if there are we would like to hear from them."